Value systems for the persistence of child marriage in Naksongola District, Uganda

Abstract

The study explored the value systems for the persistence of child marriage in Nakasongola District by examining the relationship between value systems and the persistence of child marriage in relation to individuals involved in child marriage, its effects and impacts on the community and district. The study used semi-structured questionnaires to interview 90 respondents. I also interviewed 10 key and reviewed to supplement the research findings. The data was analyzed using the SPSS software. The study findings show that majority of the people in Nakasongola District referred to child marriage as a situation where a person under the age of 18 years is made to live with another person of opposite sex as a husband or wife. A lot of families tend to support child marriage due to the materialistic gain involved in it. Families in Nakasongola often consent to the marriage of their children and usually marry young girls to older men. Poverty is the major cause of the persistence in child marriage in the community and this vice tends to bring in a lot of violence to the young children and a lot of health complications. Several Non-Government Organizations such as World Vision and Save the Children have implemented different interventions to help reduce child marriage in Nakasongola district. However, the vice persists because of the secrecy that is ensured by families involved. I recommend that there be instated provision of education for married young couples and funding for formal skills development, the university should also start funding research projects and interested researchers should expand the study to cover all the people in the country (Uganda).